Hexagonal boron nitride was irradiated with 140 MeV protons to a fluence of ~6 10²⁰p/cm² at T_irr ~200 °C. Isotropic graphite was also irradiated alongside h-BN under similar conditions and fluence to enable direct comparison of the two similar structures. The effects of proton irradiation on dimensional stability and microstructure were studied using precision dilatometry and energy dispersive Xray diffraction techniques revealing by direct comparison to graphite that h-BN can better resist radiation damage from bombardment when irradiated with protons impinging normal to the crystallographic planes or along the crystallographic c-axis. X-ray diffraction experiments also revealed a preferred orientation of the crystallites in bulk samples near the sample surface, an orientation influenced by irradiation. Thermal studies using differential scanning calorimetry and thermogravimetric analysis to 740 °C, augmented by precision dilatometry, provided evidence of subtle phase transitions attributed to residual w-BN in the matrix. Irradiation appears to induce shifting of such transitions.

六方氮化硼用140 MeV质子辐照，在T _irr处的通量约为_〜6 10 ²⁰ p / cm ²。〜200°C。在相似的条件和通量下，还向h-BN旁边照射了各向同性石墨，从而可以直接比较两个相似的结构。使用精密膨胀计和能量色散X射线衍射技术研究了质子辐照对尺寸稳定性和微观结构的影响，通过与石墨直接比较，揭示了当质子辐照垂直于晶体平面或沿质子辐照的质子辐照时，h-BN可以更好地抵抗轰击的辐射损伤。晶体学c轴。X射线衍射实验还揭示了散装样品在样品表面附近的微晶的优选取向，该取向受辐射影响。使用差示扫描量热法和热重分析法进行热研究，温度达到740°C，并通过精密膨胀法进行了扩展，提供了归因于基质中残留w-BN的细微相变的证据。辐照似乎引起这种转变的转移。